It was a retweet of a awful dad joke that he immediately un-retweeted and apologized for…. It’s his actions after the fact that made his punishment not as severe. I can see if he left it up and double-downed on it. But he took action to remove it. I can’t believe that people don’t understand this. And I can’t even stand Weigel. |
I think losing a month’s pay over a stupid retweet is a pretty harsh punishment. He apologized quickly and took it down. The other reporter should’ve reached out to him directly instead of immediately taking to Twitter. If he’s a decent person, he probably would’ve taken it down after a private conversation. That’s adult problem solving 101. |
DP. I agree that Weigel was not treated leniently if this was a first offense; I think the suspension was fair, and could entertain an argument that a less harsh punishment might also be fair for a first offense, though it was terrible judgment on his part likely to p*ss off a ton of Post readers. But why the heck do you and others on here keep trying to claim that the tweet in question was just a “dad joke”? Dad jokes are supposed to be goofy and sweet, they are called “dad jokes” in part because they are suitable for children of all ages. This was nothing of the sort. I’m asking the question sincerely because I find it so odd. For reference, here are some dad jokes (https://parade.com/940979/kelseypelzer/best-dad-jokes/): Why was the ghost so tired? He worked the graveyard shift. What does a house wear? Address. Why did the scarecrow win an award? He was out standing in his field. Notice how none of them are hateful or putting down a group of people? Compare: “Every girl is bi. You just have to figure out if it’s polar or sexual.” Why would anyone think it’s fine or remotely funny to “joke” that all women are either mentally ill or gay? It’s really stupid for a journalist to retweet that, but why would anyone? |
+1 The dad joke poster is really, really awful and is making Weigel look even worse. |
I disagree. That joke is something I’d expect from a sitcom like How I met your mother or Broad City. It’s like some crappy tv writer created that joke. I see that this is something that half of the crowd here agree with and half do not. And that is fine. I don’t think the joke was funny or necessary to tweet. I will agree with that. But pick and choose your battles. |
| Both the tweet and her actions were wrong. What bugs me is that they were purportedly friends. If a friend of mine repeated or retweeted an offensive joke, I would be mad and I would let them know. Would I try to ruin their life? No. So why did she go scorched earth? |
Agreed. This could’ve been a PM or a text. |
It’s a joke. The underlying notion is that men can never fully understand the opposite sex. Women engage is far worse stereotypes of men all the time, including on this forum. They rarely get called out for it and even then don’t suffer adverse consequences. Which is OK, because men are assumed to be able to take a joke or handle a snide comment. |
The only battle I want to win on this thread right now is the You Are Using the Term “Dad Joke” Incorrectly Battle. I agree with you that writers for sitcoms use jokes like this all the time either to be outrageous and spark a reaction or because they have determined that it will appeal to/are catering to the audience they depend on for ratings. That’s not a “dad joke” but a “deliberately offensive provocative joke” that is not surprising in the sitcom context, but is in the serious journalism one. I’m pleased with how the Post handled the whole thing. |
It’s a bad corny joke. Which is the definition of a dad joke. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/dad-joke I’m not trying to win any battle. But it is what it is. It was a bad, lame joke. There was nothing very “outrageous” about it. I agree, he shouldn’t have retweeted it in his profession. But cmon, I’m not trying to win any battles. |
That appears to be her M.O. https://reason.com/2019/08/23/im-radioactive/ https://www.cjr.org/criticism/felicia-sonmez-metoo.php |
That's really not the joke. |
Sigh. What people write on here or say over the Thanksgiving table is not held to the same standards, nor does it receive the same scrutiny, as what they say as journalists in public fora. A female political reporter would absolutely spark the same kind of outrage if she retweeted a similar “joke” that was anti-male. And she’d receive a lot more abuse on Twitter, including threats of violent reprisal from men who absolutely could not take that joke. |
Yes, a female journalist who did something similar would be facing death and rape threats. |
I’m glad Sonmez was fired, but rape and death threats were the exact things that happened to her after her Kobe Bryant tweet. |